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helenveyna@gmail.com

    Food & DIY

    Toasted Coconut and Chocolate-Glazed Doughnuts

    July 16, 2014
    I had never made doughnuts until a couple of weeks ago on National Doughnut Day, and I was surprised at how easy they are to make. I have to admit that I’m not much of a doughnut person, and I actually don’t have much of a sweet tooth unless it comes to chocolate. But, what I really liked about this cake donut recipe that I adapted from About.com, was that it wasn’t overly sweet. Some of my coworkers, who were the lucky recipients of these tasty treats, also raved about the taste and moist texture of these doughnuts. Their praise made me super happy, because what I love the most about making something yummy is being able to put a smile on another person’s face. That being said, I really hope that you enjoy this recipe.
    TOASTED COCONUT AND CHOCOLATE-GLAZED DOUGHNUTS
    Adapted from ABOUT.COM
    INGREDIENTS:
    DOUGHNUT:
    2 cups of flour
    1/2 cup of sugar
    1 teaspoon of salt
    1 tablespoon of baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
    1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
    2 tablespoons of melted butter
    1/2 cup of milk
    1 egg beaten
    1 quart of oil for frying
    CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
    4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
    3/4 cup of powdered sugar
    2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
    3 tablespoons of milk
    TOPPING:
    Toasted Coconut
    1. Heat oil in a large pan at low-to-medium heat. You don’t want the oil to get too hot, or it will immediately burn up the dough–trust me, I know this from experience!
    2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
    3. Pour in the melted butter into the bowl, and stir it in until the mixture develops a crumbly texture.
    4. Stir in the milk and egg into the mixture, and then knead the dough until smooth.
    5. Place the dough unto an area prepared with flour, and pat it down until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
    6. Use either a doughnut cutter or two separate biscuit cutters (1 large and 1 small) to cut out the doughnuts.
    7. Carefully dip the doughnuts into the hot oil. Fry them for about 3 minutes, turning them over once during that time. Both sides of the doughnut should be lightly browned.
    8. Drain the doughnuts on a cooling rack over paper towels, and let them cool down until they are about room temperature.
    9. For the glaze, mix the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk in a bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Once the doughnuts are at room temperature, you can apply the glaze by dipping them into the mixture.
    10. Finally, just top off the doughnuts with toasted coconut and then you’re done! You can find toasted coconut at some stores such as Trader Joe’s, or you can make your own by toasting 1-2 cups of shredded coconut at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. To keep the coconut from burning, make sure to turn it over at least once during that time.
    —–
    I mentioned not so long ago that one of my personal goals was to focus more time on being creative. Spending time in the kitchen is definitely one of those activities that allows me to tap more into my creativity. I love adapting recipes and thinking of what ingredients could possibly enhance the taste of whatever it is that I’m making. I also really enjoy working on the presentation of food; with this particular recipe, I had so much fun experimenting with my camera and trying to take pictures that made these doughnuts look as good as they tasted.
    I have to say that I’m so glad that it’s already Wednesday! I’ve been in a rut this week, and am really looking forward to the weekend. Lately I’ve seriously been considering of applying to grad school or moving somewhere else–both are prospects that are super exciting to me! However, I’ve also been doubting my ability to move forward in life. Because of everything that’s going on in my head, I’ve been feeling really sensitive to things that other people say and do, and I’ve been letting them affect my mood in a negative way. I really just need to learn to just brush things off and push negative thoughts out of my mind. But, I guess that is a skill that comes with practice.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    Outfit, Travel

    Soaking Up The California Sun

    July 14, 2014
    Photos by Laura Nolan
    Outfit:
    Crocheted Vest (Handmade by my Grandmother)
    Forever 21 Cropped Top in Polka Dot Print (Similar)
    Topshop High-Waisted Bikini Pants
    Linen Skirt (Handmade by my Mom)
    Dolce Vita Zen Flat Sandal (Available in Black)
    Crocheted Bag with Bottle Caps (Also handmade by my Grandmother) 

    This weekend I drove down to Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano to hang out with my best friend Laura. As you may already know from some of my previous posts, Laura and I live two hours apart, and Orange County is our halfway meeting point. Since Laura will soon be moving to China for a year, lately we’ve been making a serious effort to see each other more often.
    Since neither of us had ever been, Laura and I decided to visit the San Juan Capistrano Mission while we were in the area. The mission is a place that is very rich in history, and it was wonderful to spend part of our day touring the monument and learning about the people who first lived there when it was built. It was such a beautiful and serene place to visit, and it reminded me of why I love living in California.

    As you may have already noticed, many of the items that I wore this weekend were handmade by my Mom and Abuela/Grandmother. I love receiving gifts that are handmade, because I feel like they are much more unique and personal. This vest and handbag are two of my most favorite items because they were made by my grandmother. They are particularly special to me because my grandmother has C.R.E.S.T., a disease that makes it hard for her to use her hands–it’s so astonishing to me that, despite of her disability, she puts in the time and effort to crochet items like these and is also able to achieve such intricate detail.

     

    As usual, I was in charge of taking Laura’s yoga photos, and I snapped a couple of outfit photos as well. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again–I can only wish to be as strong and graceful as Laura is one day. She always carries herself with such poise, and her photos look like they belong in an Anthropologie catalogue.
    Before going down to the mission, Laura and I spent a couple of hours lounging and soaking in the sun at the beach. I’ve been making an effort to go to the beach more often this Summer, since I feel like I need to start taking more advantage of one of the most wonderful activities that California has to offer. I’ve also invested in a swimsuit for the first time in years, so I no longer have that as an excuse to not make my way down to the beach. While I’m on the topic of swimwear, I have to say that I’m so glad that high-waisted swimsuit bottoms are back in style; I feel like they make it easier for girls like me, who don’t like showing too much skin, to go out and have fun in the sun.

     

    I feel like I’ve been going at full-speed this Summer. There isn’t a weekend that goes by where I don’t have anything to do. I’ve been having so much fun, but I do feel the need to slow down and spend a weekend just focusing on myself. I think that it’s always important to set apart time to focus on self-care and recharge. Doing that definitely gives you energy to get back out there and take over the world.
    How are you enjoying your Summer? Do you have any goals or activities you would like to accomplish before it ends?
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    ——
    Follow my adventures in real time on Instagram
    Outfit

    Learning to Focus

    July 7, 2014
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Black Top with Bow (Old)
    Madewell Deckshorts in Crosshatch Ikat (ON SALE!)
    Target Merona Espradilles in Black
    (My shoe size is 6.5, and a size 6 fit just fine)
    I recently read an article in Darling Magazine called “I’m Not Here, I’m Not There,” in which the writer Tracey Wallace discusses how multitasking is making people less productive. Wallace’s article implies that smartphones are largely responsible for the “multitasking phenomenon” because people constantly feel the need to seek out information or be connected to social media. The article goes on to suggest that instead of trying to multitask, people should focus on breaking up their life into four quadrants–these quadrants can be any areas in your life that hold a deep significance to you, and you should aim to contribute something positive in each one. People should focus on only one particular quadrant during a specific time in order to maintain balance and achieve success in their everyday lives.
    I really enjoyed the article for many reasons. Firstly, it made me think about how my own constant usage of social media and dependance on my smartphone, are tied to my habit of multitasking. In the past few years, I’ve become obsessed with documenting different aspects of my life to the point that I don’t always get to fully enjoy myself and live in the moment. Not only that, I constantly use things like working on my blog or checking my Instagram as an excuse to step away from focusing on a more important matter or working on a challenging task.
    I also enjoyed that Wallace’s article made me take a moment to think about what my priorities are by suggesting that, in order to be successful and productive, people need focus on four quadrants in their lives where they can make a significant contribution. It was extremely challenging to break up my life into just four areas that I want to focus on–I’m so used to just seeing my actions as individual tasks instead of how they relate to a bigger picture. I would say that for now the quadrants that I want to focus on are my family, friends, learning and being creative.
    I feel that looking at my life in quadrants makes me feel more organized and focused in life; it also makes me think about what areas of my life I need to contribute more time to. I definitely feel that in the past couple of months, I haven’t really made time to focus on unleashing my creativity or attaining more knowledge. I definitely need to set apart time during the week to step away from my computer and read a book or work on a creative project.

     

    I hope you all had a fun 4th of July weekend! I spent mine (mostly) away from a computer screen and smartphone, and instead I made time to hang out with family and friends. Some of my friends from out-of-state were in town all day Saturday, and I had so much fun being their tour guide for the day. They were such good sports as I dragged them from one place to another, even though I definitely made them walk more than a couple of miles as we explored different parts of Downtown Los Angeles. I hope that I can continue this streak of having fun-filled weekends as long as possible!
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace